GurrumulOn a largely vacant stage, Caiti Baker stands with guitarist Ben Hauptmann and within an instant floors the audience. While Hauptmann plays his road-worn Stratocaster using a series of loop pedals to a great affect, Baker's phenomenal range and powerhouse vocal feels utterly perfect for the large concert hall acoustics. Splashes of attitude drip through her blues- and soul-inspired tracks and she is at complete ease on stage. Baker performse in a way that you only ever expect to see in the most seasoned of performers. What Am I Supposed To Do?, Silence and Carry all land perfectly with the crowd, and with a full band cover of Tom Waits' Way Down In The Hole, and a headline act feature for Let It Go, she easily cements her place with the night's attendees.
As the crowd falls silent, captivated by the gentle vocal rise of Gurrumul on Wiyathul and Bapa, we are reminded of the unique power of Gurrumul's music. The openers are well known to the audience, and the raw nature of his music is completely exposed. The backing band, lead by long-time collaborator and upright bassist Michael Hohnen, need only fill out small sections as Gurrumul dazzles with his union of vocal and acoustic guitar that could be best summarised as music in its purest form. Joined thereafter by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the night proceeds through his latest release, The Gospel Album, beginning with opening track and current single Jesu. The shift in the performance is an impressive one given that the songs are sung in Yolngu and English, and, given the parish-like nature of the track's composition, manages to avoid steering the night into something feeling overly pietistic. Crowd participation in bird calls, foot-stomping and lyric shouting for Baru and Warrk add to the occasional glimpses of tongue-in-cheek humour of Gurrumul and fill the room with energy. Following the blissful duet of Amazing Grace with the returning Baker the night is seen off with a charismatic Marwurrumburr to a suitably enormous applause, ending a faultless pair of performances from some unique and deserving talent.
